wfn.org | UCC Moderator Writes Parliament on Same-Sex Marriage

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

For Immediate Release	Friday, January 21, 2005

UNITED CHURCH MODERATOR WRITES TO
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Toronto:	Not everyone who speaks from the Christian perspective
is opposed to same-sex marriage.

That is the message delivered by the Moderator of Canada's largest
Protestant denomination in a letter mailed this week to every Member of
Parliament. The letter also includes an invitation to MPs to attend a
parliamentary breakfast to be hosted by the Moderator on Parliament Hill
on Thursday, February 24, to engage parliamentarians in further
conversation on the subject of marriage.

The text of the letter written by the Right Rev. Dr. Peter Short was
released in a statement issued today by The United Church of Canada. The
letter, which was mailed to the constituency offices of all Members of
Parliament, is also posted on The United Church of Canada's website at
www.united-church.ca.

The following is an excerpt from the Moderator's letter to
parliamentarians:

"I want to put before you now a Christian perspective on faith,
tradition, and values. I write of these precious things because I
believe they ought to be considered in making public decisions. I am
aware of your responsibilities toward a multicultural and multi-faith
society, and so what follows is not intended to be normative for all. It
is specifically and unapologetically of the Christian tradition, a
tradition that runs deeply in Canadian life and history.

"I understand faith to be a way of living. To have faith is to implement
a vision in one's daily life; in this sense, all live by some faith or
other. Faith is not simply about the received doctrines. Doctrine is
essential to religious life but it is not the final arbiter, neither of
our decisions nor of our hope. After all, doctrines have been used to
support slavery, apartheid, and the exclusion of women.

"Some will protest that we must have faith in the Bible, and that the
Bible takes an unfavourable view of intimate same-sex relationship. But
I would answer that Christian faith is not an uncritical repetition of a
received text. It is a mindful commitment to the power of love, to which
the text seeks to give witness. Every generation of the Christian faith
must decide how they will honour that demand of love in the living of
their days. Changing circumstances and changing ideas are not the enemy
of faith.

"In fact, change is the only medium in which faithfulness can truly
become faithfulness. Uncritical repetition is more like being on
autopilot.

"Similarly, I understand tradition to be a living treasure. Tradition is
not to be confused with habit, custom, or convention. These are simply
vessels that seek to hold the living tradition of God's presence in the
world. Habit, custom, and convention are not themselves the light; they
come to bear witness to the light. John's gospel says that the Word of
God became flesh in Jesus Christ. The Word became a living being, John
writes, not words. The Supreme Court follows this traditional wisdom
when it declares metaphorically that the constitution is a living tree.
In Christian tradition the measure by which we choose a course of action
is the measure of the love of Christ, a measure that judges even
scripture. It is never legitimate to use the words of scripture to
promote a loveless agenda.

"Further, I understand value to be created by God, not by ancient custom
nor by current fashion nor by general approval. God does not love
because human creatures have value. Rather, it is in loving human
creatures that God gives them value. Value is a gift-not a rule, not a
partisan lever, and certainly not a weapon. It is wrong to invoke the
love of God in order that one person's 'values' might diminish another's
value. Those who claim that homosexual people threaten to dismantle the
value of heterosexual marriage would do well to remember that if anyone
destroys marriage, it is married people, not gays and lesbians.

"In the end, faith, tradition, and values do not decide for us. They
equip us to take up the responsible and difficult task of deciding for
ourselves. This deciding is itself an act of faith. So we pray for one
another, we struggle to live in the love of Christ, and we take our step
in humble trust that the next generation will deal generously with us,
knowing we did our best with the vision of love God gave us for our day.

"For me, Christian faith, tradition, and values contribute to our hope
for that day when earth once more is fair and all her children one,
including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people-all her
children. The General Council of The United Church of Canada believes
that equal marriage is a step on the path to justice, peace, and the
common good. If prayer is a part of your life, please pray that we may
tread lightly, wisely, lovingly, bravely, and faithfully."

Note: The complete text of the Moderator's letter to parliamentarians,
along with The United Church of Canada's letter to the Prime Minister,
is posted on the United Church's website at www.united-church.ca.

For further information, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis
Communications Officer
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (business)
416-885-7478 (cell)
416-766-0057 (home)

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